1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to Power over Ethernet (PoE) and, more particularly, to a system and method for authenticating a powered device attached to a power sourcing equipment for power provisioning such as POE enabled device communicating with a PoE enabled switch.
2. Introduction
The IEEE 802.3af and 802.3 at PoE specifications provide a framework for delivery of power from power sourcing equipment (PSE) to a powered device (PD) over Ethernet cabling. In this PoE process, a valid device detection is first performed. This detection process ensures that power is not applied to non-PoE capable devices.
PDs such as VoIP phones, wireless LAN access points, and network cameras represent a class of devices that are provisioned by the enterprise to meet particular needs as they arise. A PD such as a computing device (e.g., portable computer), on the other hand, can be attached to a PoE network entirely at the discretion of the end user. For example, a conference room can be configured to provide power to multiple portable computing devices that are controlled by various users. In these dynamic configuration environments, concerns can arise regarding the suitability or permissibility of such devices being attached to the network as well as the device's impact on limited PSE power budgets. What is needed therefore is a mechanism for managing the connection of PDs in such dynamic configuration environments.